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Changing of the Goal Posts for Self-Funded Retirees – How to make sense of the Changes to the Age Pension.

For many years, the Age Pension has been available to thousands of self-funded retirees who have sought advice around the generous rules and exemptions available and employed smart strategies to gain access to the Government Benefits, even with substantial superannuation balances. From 1st January 2017 however, the rules are being tightened! If you are currently…

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November Update

November is here and as always it opens with the race that stops a nation. But the Melbourne Cup has been eclipsed by an even bigger race this month, and that’s the home stretch to the US Presidential election on November 8, which overshadowed global financial markets in October. Our newsletter gives you a snapshot…

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Forget the Smashed Avo on Toast – Are you just too lazy to save money?

Australians are self-confessed penny pinchers, with new research identifying three-quarters of Australians as tightwads who limit their spending and hunt for the best deals. But with all this self-confession, are we really saving as much as what we could? With more than half of Australians dumping their current service providers for a cheaper deal, research…

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$500,000 lifetime superannuation cap scrapped

The Government has today announced improvements to the superannuation changes announced in the 2016-17 Budget that make Australia’s superannuation system even fairer, more flexible and more sustainable. Following extensive consultation, the Government will amend the package to improve the measures that seek to restrict superannuation being used as an estate planning vehicle, while providing greater…

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End of Financial Year Update and Strategies

After a long spell of milder weather, winter is finally here, but the upcoming federal election will be providing plenty of heat for the next few weeks at least. With significant changes to superannuation, business tax and negative gearing in the offing, the outcome of this election could also have a material impact on the…

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How to minimise the Health Insurance Hike

How to minimise the Health Insurance Hike The dreaded 1 April increase is coming and this year, Australians can expect a hit to the hip pocket with an average increase to health insurance premiums by 5.59%, adding approximately $200 a year to the cost of the average family policy. For those who aren’t watching closely…

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Federal Budget 2015 Summary

After criticism that his first budget was too tough and unfair, Treasurer Joe Hockey has used his second budget to restore the confidence of ordinary Australians and shift the focus to jobs, growth and opportunity. Gone is the talk of a budget emergency. Instead, the Coalition government has unveiled nearly $10 billion in spending initiatives…

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Eight’s the age – Ways to help children save

Personal finance editor John Collett and financial planner Olivia Maragna discuss strategies for parents to help their children establish good savings habits.

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5 Changes starting on 1 July

Olivia was interviewing on ABC Radio on some new changes starting on 1 July 2014. Listen here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdFSFLP-mHw   Source: ABC Radio

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The 1 Million Milestone for Super

With more than a 26 per cent growth in four years and more than $560 billion dollars in assets, the Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) industry has hit an incredible milestone – 1 million members. With an average balance of more than $543,000 per member, the growth of SMSF’s has continued with another 6374 net establishments…

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Get the most from End of Financial Year Super Incentives

With the talk of working longer and the emphasis on taking care of your own retirement, here are some super incentives you may be able to take advantage of. Consider these before the end of financial year. Salary sacrifice Salary sacrifice is not for everyone but it can be an effective strategy to reduce tax…

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Olivia was recently interviewed by Alan Kohler

Olivia was recently invited to be interviewed by respected Finance Journalist, Alan Kohler.  You can listen to the interview below.  The interview must have made an impression with Alan as he then wrote about her the next day in The Australian newspaper and for ABC’s online news. Alan Kohler is the founder of Business Spectator,…

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